Beautiful Heroine
|number=19 |image=Beautiful heroine cover.jpg |Airdate=August 7, 2003 |romanji=Suteki na Hiroin |kanji=すてきなヒロイン |opening=Byakuya ~True Light~ |ending=Hajimari no Hi |previous=The Two Under The Shooting Stars |next=Because I Wanted To See You }} Beautiful Heroine is the 19th episode of the D.N.Angel anime. Satoshi discovers his father's schemes to capture Dark, and Risa understands the intensity of the love between her grandmother and the thief in a letter hidden at the Harada mansion. The boys in Daisuke's class are to be performing the Ice and Snow play, with Daisuke and Satoshi filling the lead roles. Summary Daisuke Niwa stands by the fountain above town, sketching the view. Riku Harada approaches, admitting that she’s given up on her drawing. She hesitates to show him, but relinquishes her drawing at his gentle insistence. Upon seeing the artwork, he happily praises her, but she blushes and dismisses it, stating that her family has no talent for art. As he continues sketching, the couple discusses Daisuke’s plans for his submission from the art club for the Fall Cultural Festival. Riku notices that Daisuke has gotten taller and talks herself out of giving him the pendant. He pauses in his drawing, entranced by a snowy landscape that he sees in front of him. In his and Emiko’s bedroom, the Rutile replica glows in Kosuke Niwa’s hand. He thinks it strange that the glowing is happening more frequently. When Daisuke returns home, Kosuke waves the ring in front of his son but sees nothing out of the ordinary. He explains his intentions and wonders if something has happened to Daisuke lately. Towa arrives to share that Daisuke has been receiving phone calls from a Harada girl and talking with her for nearly an hour each day. The boy blushes and storms away to his room. After meditating in front of his easel, Daisuke begins his painting while With rests nearby. Later that night, he finally finishes, satisfied with his snowy landscape. Dark questions his choice of subject, and Daisuke explains that the scenery comes to his mind occasionally. Has Daisuke been looking into his memories and seeing Rika? Dark wonders. At school the next day, Riku and Daisuke discuss his painting while they prepare for the festival. Her sister, Risa, follows behind. Risa asks him to help her carry a mat, so Daisuke entreats the help of a fellow classmate, Miyamoto. Alone with Riku, Risa asks why Daisuke still calls her “Harada-san” while Riku is “Riku-san”. She becomes more suspicious at Riku’s non-committal answer. That night at the Harada home, the twins admire the stars and remember the meteor shower from their school trip. Risa silently concludes that Riku has feelings for Daisuke. She then shares her recent discovery that a person cannot find their image of a loved one in someone else. She looks hopefully at the sky, wondering where her future love is now. Riku thinks on Daisuke, who is currently resting in his room under his skyline, watching the same stars. In another room, Risa remembers Dark’s final words as she stares at a photo of her late grandmother, Rika Harada. Going to the attic, she finds an old vanity with a key. She rushes outside to the statue of wings in the courtyard, which she correctly guessed that the key could unlock. There inside, she finds a letter and a black feather. In the letter, Rika expresses her heartfelt and tragic love for Dark, wishing to be near him in her future death. Risa weeps for her grandmother and declares defeat. She believes that she understands Dark and his feelings. Returning the letter and feather to the statue, Risa understands that she neither can nor wants to replace her grandmother. Satoshi Hiwatari enters his father’s office where the man is reading; he has come to ask his father to stop interfering in his plan to capture Dark. Commissioner Hiwatari grasps his sons hands and states that only a Hikari can accomplish this task so Satoshi is in control. As the man returns to his desk, Satoshi sees a photo of an artwork in the open book. In the dark streets of the city, Mio Hio requests more time to complete her mission. The commissioner knows that Satoshi is beginning to intrude and jeopardize their plans. He orders her to proceed with the pendant and “another” plan, else her temporary life will end and she will return to being a doll. After the phone call ends, she struggles with her desire to become human and her reluctance to sacrifice Daisuke. At school, Mio Hio stops Riku in the hallways, but the latter is in a hurry and runs away. Mio coldly ignores Takeshi Saehara, who is trying to make small talk, and walks away from him. Daisuke is late to leave the Niwa home and becomes even tardier when his grandfather’s back is strained. Kosuke and Emiko are out of the house, so Daisuke offers to stay and help Towa. Daiki wonders if Dark is laughing at him, but Daisuke admits that the thief is worried and has been more serious lately. Daisuke questions his grandfather about his late wife and whether or not she was his Sacred Maiden. The elder reassures him that feelings change and “things” will be settled soon. In the girl’s locker room, Mio approaches Riku again to ask about the pendant. However, her attempt is once again interrupted when Risa calls for her. Daisuke rushes to class, extremely late, and discovers that he has been chosen to act as Freedert in the class play of Ice and Snow. Daisuke is entirely unenthused. The roles for the rest of the class were chosen while he was gone as well, including the second lead actor: Satoshi Hiwatari as Elliot. The girls can’t wait to see the two boys act together, despite Daisuke’s dismay. Meanwhile, Satoshi observes Mio’s sullen attitude silently. Satoshi does not have comforting words for the sulking Daisuke and smiles as he departs, thinking that he can lay a trap. The second semester has begun wildly for Daisuke Niwa. Trivia * During the scene where Daisuke is showing his drawing to Riku at the fountain, she is a few feet away from him but, in the next shot, she is standing over his shoulder. * Shunichi Miyamoto, who performs several songs including the opening Byakuya ~True Light~, appears in a cameo role as Mousier Miyamoto, a classmate in charge of the music for the play. * Minako Yamaguchi, performer of the ending songs, is also given a cameo role as Sakura Inoue. * Mousier Miyamoto is pronounced "Monsieur" despite not being spelled that way in the ending credits. Quotes * “It’s unique! I envy you, because I can’t draw freely like this.” - Daisuke Niwa, to Riku Harada * “There’s something that I realized... That it’s pointless to look for the image of someone you love in someone else. I can try to like someone else instead of Dark-san, for example, like Niwa-kun, but in the end, it’s different. It probably wouldn’t have made me happy.” - Risa Harada * “I probably won’t give this letter to you. I made up my mind that I should not see you any longer. If you are one who is bound by fate, I think that meeting you was my fate. No, I was born into this world only to meet you. No matter what you say, I know that you loved me sincerely, and you cared for me more than anyone else. So today, I sealed my feelings for you deeply and firmly in my heart. When my life ends someday, that heart will fly freely for the first time, and become the wind, so that it can be close to you. So I dream. I pray with my whole soul that you overcome your fate and accomplish your mission. To the Eternal Dark-sama. From Rika.” - Rika Harada, in her letter * “No one, aside from a member of the Hikari family, can deal with Dark. So I can’t do anything but leave the matter to you. Good luck.” - Commissioner Hiwatari, to Satoshi Hiwatari * “You don’t want to be rich in years. Is Dark laughing?” - Daiki Niwa, to Daisuke Niwa * “Leave it to me! I’ll compose music that’ll bring people to tears.” - Mousier Miyamoto Category:Episodes